Page 85 - SEN116 January-February 2022

Professional development
About the author Alex Grady is Head of Whole
School SEND at nasen.
nasen.org.uk
in the 2021 Budget. However, supporting these places will require the recruitment of additional high-quality staff, and ongoing effective PD for all those working in the specialist sector, to support retention and effectiveness.
In mainstream schools, at least 30% of special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) report that they do not intend to still be in the role in five years’ time (National SENCO Workload Survey, 2018, Bath Spa University and nasen). The role of SENCO is one of only a few statutory roles in schools and requires the completion of the National Award for SENCO (NASENCO) within three years for the vast majority. We need to ensure that all SENCOs are offered effective PD beyond the NASENCO if we are to retain them in the role, as well as ensuring that SEN provision in schools is as effective as it can be.
One of a SENCO’s key roles is to support the PD of other staff in the area of SEND, and to be able to do this effectively, they need their own ongoing PD and support. This can be achieved with organisations like nasen and Whole School SEND, which both offer support and PD to SENCOs and others, through free membership and other services.
What does effective professional development and support look like?
There is clear evidence on the characteristics of effective PD for teachers. TDT’s Developing Great Teaching (2015) describes the
“Greater responsibility on school leaders to seek out professional development for SEND”
elements that produce profound and lasting change: duration (at least two terms); a rhythm of follow-up, consolidation and support; a shared sense of purpose; alignment of principles; subject knowledge and pedagogy (including alternative pedagogies for pupils with ‘different needs’).
These principles are reflected in the DfE’s Standard for teachers’ professional development (2016) which describes effective PD as a partnership between school leaders, teachers and providers. There should be a focus on improving and evaluating pupil outcomes; programmes should be underpinned by robust evidence and expertise; they should include collaboration and expert challenge; be sustained over time and be prioritised by school leadership.
The reformed Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework (DfE, 2019) and the Early Career Framework (ECF, DfE, 2019), along with the new National Professional Qualifications (including Leading Teacher Development, DfE, 2020), form a golden thread which will support teachers throughout their career. However, these alone will not meet the need for effective SEND PD for all teachers in mainstream and special schools/ settings. This gap has the potential to be compounded by the move from Teaching School Alliances, many of which were specialists in SEND, to Teaching School Hubs, the vast majority of which are not. There will be a greater responsibility on school leaders to seek out PD for SEND which meets the Standards and the principles in ‘Developing Great Teaching’.
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